Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much has been spent on architectural costs for the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens to date; how much is committed to be spent in future; and if he will make an estimate of the cost for architectural services if the proposals are enacted.

The department has spent £4,156,379.80 to date on architectural services for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre programme, including £638,000 on architectural services for the planning inquiry held in 2020. The department is forecasting future spend on architectural services of between £1.6 million and £1.9 million, taking into account estimates of inflation caused by delays to the programme.

Officials meet regularly with representatives of the design team, and met Ron Arad, the designer of the Holocaust Memorial on 6 July 2023. Officials keep the Secretary of State updated on the project overall.